Vamana

Years of birth and death unknown. Indian theoretician of literature of the second half of the eighth to the first half of the ninth centuries.

Vamana was the author of the treatise Kavyalankara (Sutra on Poetic Embellishments), which consisted of three parts and was written in the form of aphorisms (sutras) with glosses (vritti). Vamana believed that the riti (poetic styles) were the soul of poetry. He distinguished three forms of riti: Pancali, which is marked by a tender, sweet sound; Gaudi, which is distinguished by brilliant, forceful poetic expression; and Vaidarbhi, which combines all the qualities of poetic speech and is considered the perfect form.